Page 81 of An Unexpected Ascension
“Awe, come on. Torture me with that softness. Give your girl what she wants.” I try.
He chuckles, pulling me toward the front of a decrepit building, narrowly missing the corpse straggling blindly. My back slams into the chipped brick as he pins me to it with his body, those inked hands cradling my face.
“Not that!” I growl, but my protest goes in one ear and out the other.
His lips tease mine in a sensual kiss, one meant for lovers, while his groin presses into my stomach. With my face still captured in his hands, I use one of my own to throw an uppercut punch, his sternum cracking with the blow.
He groans, his head falling back with his eyes squeezed tightly in pain. His grimace, a sight I’ve found more enticing than his smirk, crumbles his façade. The arrogance evaporates like water spilt on concrete in one-hundred-and-ten-degree heat.
His hands fall to the wall beside my head, trapping me, but at least those demonic lips aren’t searing into mine with mockery.
“You deserve it,” I mumble, refusing to feel bad.
Silence weighs heavily like a thick fog while he focuses on healing himself. Three, four, five deep breaths and he finally levels his head. His eyes fling open, pupils blown and nearly as black as the sea, fixate on me. I mentally kick myself for wincing, for showing my fear.
“Do you know what you’ve just done?”
“Yeah, stopped you from?—”
“You’ve just undermined me in front of everyone in Hell.” He gestures behind him.
Past his shoulder, a crowd has formed. Bodies lingering, watching, waiting.
“Do you know what happens to lowly creatures who undermine the God’s Second?”
“Kill her!”
“Rip her arm off!”
“Fuck her!”
“Slit her throat!”
“Set her on fire!”
The crowd all shouts, one over the other, the excitement palpable. They’re nearly foaming at the mouth, eager to see my punishment. My heart thuds inside my chest, fear poisoning the blood inside my body.
The demon wraps my hair around his fist and drags me before the decrepit mob. Pulling me into his chest, he whispers in my ear.
“Alone, I’ll take every bit of your rage. Here? In the open, in front of all Lucifer’s followers?” He licks the tear that’s fallen free, a little taste of terror. “I won’t tolerate it. Now, tell me. Would you like to be punished here with this vile audience or would you rather I make you suffer tonight, just you and me?”
“Fuck, I hate you.” A wave of tremors course through me.
“Audience it is.”
“Fine! Fine. Alone. Punish me tonight. Alone.” I seethe.
I can feel the grin slipping into place, his chuckle rumbling his chest.
“Good girl. Now sit pretty.”
Before I can ask him to clarify, he shoves me to my knees, his fist still gripping my hair. My scalp burns, but I don’t dare make a noise.
“Looks like I have a new pet!” He sneers loud enough for everyone to hear. “Too pretty to cut into pieces. Skin too soft to melt. What do the people think?”
“Whore her,” one particular man in the front row states with twinkling eyes.
I narrow my gaze on him, and he meets my stare with a wicked smirk. Almost handsome in his navy button up and black slacks, if it wasn’t for the gaping knife wound on the side of his neck.
